Off Topic track success stories with gymnasts?

[Deleted member 17723]

Hi!

Any track success stories out there? With prior gymnastics experience? I'm joining my schools track and field team, any gymnasts/parents of gymnasts of there who picked up track? What events were done successfully and which not so successfully?

 

[flippinam]

I currently do track and gymnastics and love both. Gymnasts are commonly good at jumping events, hurdles, and pole vault. I personally CAN NOT do hurdles to save my life, but I am decent at pole vault and triple jump. I am not a fast sprinter and have poor endurance, so none of the running events worked well for me. I made varsity freshman year and have been since then, placing second at district on triple jump freshman and sophomore year. Then I hurt my Achilles' tendon junior year and am unable to jump my senior year. So I have taken up pole vault this year and within a few months, been able to tie the second place height from state last year. So we'll see what happens this season.

So I would definitely recommend trying pole vault, hurdles, and triple jump first. Those three events rely heavily on technique and use many of the same "type" of muscle as gymnastics. I really regret not trying pole vault sooner.

Just be warned: track (especially triple jump) is VERY rough on ankles and knees, more so than gymnastics. If I remember correctly, you've had some ankle injuries in the past, so just tread carefully and listen to your body. I did not during my junior year and am really regretting it now.

 

[duyetanh]

My dd always says if she moves on from gym, track it is...wants to do the 200...could be because she lives for running to that vault table...

 

[Deleted member 17723]

I currently do track and gymnastics and love both. Gymnasts are commonly good at jumping events, hurdles, and pole vault. I personally CAN NOT do hurdles to save my life, but I am decent at pole vault and triple jump. I am not a fast sprinter and have poor endurance, so none of the running events worked well for me. I made varsity freshman year and have been since then, placing second at district on triple jump freshman and sophomore year. Then I hurt my Achilles' tendon junior year and am unable to jump my senior year. So I have taken up pole vault this year and within a few months, been able to tie the second place height from state last year. So we'll see what happens this season.

So I would definitely recommend trying pole vault, hurdles, and triple jump first. Those three events rely heavily on technique and use many of the same "type" of muscle as gymnastics. I really regret not trying pole vault sooner.

Just be warned: track (especially triple jump) is VERY rough on ankles and knees, more so than gymnastics. If I remember correctly, you've had some ankle injuries in the past, so just tread carefully and listen to your body. I did not during my junior year and am really regretting it now.

What's triple jump like? I signed up for pole vault, 100m and 200m but I'm sort of questioning that haha. I ran today on my own to find out I have awful endurance and I can't sprint much longer than the runway. Oops. Well, pole vault hopefully will work. I'll think about hurdles but I can't jump over mats for my life so I don't think I'll be able to do them. I've heard about the roughness on ankles and shins - both of which I've had problems with. I've already talked to the coach and we are going to be slow and easy so nothing else happens (hopefully). Season doesn't start until March 21st... but I'm so so excited!!

 

[Deleted member 17723]

My dd always says if she moves on from gym, track it is...wants to do the 200...could be because she lives for running to that vault table...

It's so much further though!!!! I learned that today

 

[Quadqueen]

My DD moved from gym to track. She does well in hurdles, jumping events and sprints. She is planning to try pole vault this spring.

 

[flippinam]

It's so much further though!!!! I learned that today

Yep! I live for vault in the gym. It's my favorite. However, even the 100 m is so much farther! And for vault you can do a controlled but powerful run. For sprints it has to be full out all the way. It's definitely not my "thing".

 

[Deleted member 17723]

Yep! I live for vault in the gym. It's my favorite. However, even the 100 m is so much farther! And for vault you can do a controlled but powerful run. For sprints it has to be full out all the way. It's definitely not my "thing".

Oh boy. Okay, maybe I need to reevaluate my events. Well. I know pole vault is on my list but I need two more. Uh oh. 200m def. isn't for me!!

 

[Deleted member 17723]

My DD moved from gym to track. She does well in hurdles, jumping events and sprints. She is planning to try pole vault this spring.

What level gymnast was she? Which sprint does she do?

 

[flippinam]

What's triple jump like?

I absolutely love triple jump and am so sad that I can't do it anymore. Have you ever done "deer runs" in gymnastics? It's very similar to bounding for triple jump. Basically, there are three phases in triple jump. In the first, you jump off of your dominant leg and land on your dominant leg again. In the second, you jump off your dominant leg and land on your non-dominant leg. In the third, you take off your non dominant leg to land on both legs in the pit.

It requires very specific technique in each phase (cycling the legs, 90 degree angles, knees up, etc etc). You will learn more about that as you are coached. But gymnasts are usually good at it because each phase is like a rebound. Many other athletes are not used to that and try to absorb and jump. It also requires some flexibility and quite a bit of hip flexor strength, areas where many gymnasts excel.

 

[flippinam]

Oh boy. Okay, maybe I need to reevaluate my events. Well. I know pole vault is on my list but I need two more. Uh oh. 200m def. isn't for me!!

Will your coach allow you to try a bunch of events for a while and just see what works best? My freshman year I did 100 m, 200 m, 100 hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault (for about 2 weeks until I injured my wrist at gym; then I didn't try again until this year ). After I competed all of that freshman year, I was able to find which I was best at and where I could help the team the most. You never know until you try. My coach literally had to force me to try triple jump because I was convinced I could never do it.

 

[Deleted member 17723]

I absolutely love triple jump and am so sad that I can't do it anymore. Have you ever done "deer runs" in gymnastics? It's very similar to bounding for triple jump. Basically, there are three phases in triple jump. In the first, you jump off of your dominant leg and land on your dominant leg again. In the second, you jump off your dominant leg and land on your non-dominant leg. In the third, you take off your non dominant leg to land on both legs in the pit.

It requires very specific technique in each phase (cycling the legs, 90 degree angles, knees up, etc etc). You will learn more about that as you are coached. But gymnasts are usually good at it because each phase is like a rebound. Many other athletes are not used to that and try to absorb and jump. It also requires some flexibility and quite a bit of hip flexor strength, areas where many gymnasts excel.

Yeah, we just started doing those in practice actually a few weeks ago!! How far can you go for triple jump (what's your PR?)?

 

[Deleted member 17723]

Will your coach allow you to try a bunch of events for a while and just see what works best? My freshman year I did 100 m, 200 m, 100 hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault (for about 2 weeks until I injured my wrist at gym; then I didn't try again until this year ). After I competed all of that freshman year, I was able to find which I was best at and where I could help the team the most. You never know until you try. My coach literally had to force me to try triple jump because I was convinced I could never do it.

We have one week (6 days, 2.5 hours per day) to try everything/whatever you want. Then it gets narrowed down.

 

[flippin out]

Good friends have moved over to track successfully.....1 received full ride the other a partial. Girl A moved from successful level 10 over to track in junior high. She went on to hold school record in long jump. Received full ride, holds the college school record for Triple Jump and Long Jump. Was very close to qualifying in one of those for the 08 olympics. Has since graduated college, and had offers to join an Olympic bobsled duo team.
Girl 2 did level 9 through HS along with her High School track team, sprints and pole vault. Received partial scholarship and is in her Jr year and making personal bests in pole vault every week.

 

[gymcoach1]

I was a level ten and went to college on a track scholarship for pole vaulting.

 

[flippinam]

Yeah, we just started doing those in practice actually a few weeks ago!! How far can you go for triple jump (what's your PR?)?

As a sophomore I PRed at 34'. Then I got injured, and now I probably can't even jump 30' lol.

 

[Deleted member 17723]

As a sophomore I PRed at 34'. Then I got injured, and now I probably can't even jump 30' lol.

I thought it'd be like 10'..... oh no maybe track isn't my thing....

 

[Jmrhgymnast]

I currently do track and gymnastics and love it. I do long jump, triple jump, and hurdles right now. I had tried high jump for a year. I was good at it but I was at a disadvantage because of my height. My advice is just try every event because you never know what you will succeed in. I have seen kids on my track team go from the bottom and being over looked, to them now being one of our key varsity people.
Also when you join track, spend the money to get a good pair of running sneakers. I made that mistake my first indoor season and I felt it in my ankles and shins.

 

[Quadqueen]

What level gymnast was she? Which sprint does she do?

She was level 8 and 11 years old when she quit due to several injuries. She is not yet in high school - she competes for a club team.

 

[flippinam]

I thought it'd be like 10'..... oh no maybe track isn't my thing....

Just keep trying! And I can almost promise you that your triple jump is way farther than 10'.